The world of fabric is vast and encompasses many materials. Whether you are in the middle of making new clothes or creating accessories, you certainly want to change fabrics. Why not opt for crepe fabric? Very popular in fashion, it remains quite easy to sew to create dresses, pants, skirts and jackets yourself.
But where does the name of crepe fabric come from, is it made of synthetic or natural fibers and how to use it more in your sewing workshop? Discover all its secrets in this article written by us.
Crepe fabric is one of the most recognized woven fabrics for its elegance and flowing surface. Its light appearance makes it possible to make beautiful clothes and soft home accessories.
In the world of sewing and weaving, crepe fabric hides behind its name a set of fabrics such as Georgette crepe, Viscose crepe or cotton crepe different from the jersey fabric from knitted fabric manufacturers. All have common characteristics such as the fineness of the touch and the twist of the yarn strand. Moreover, the twisted yarns gave their name to the fabric since “crepe” comes from the Latin word crispus which means wavy.
Concretely, this fabric manufacturing technique consists of twisting a thread until it meets another thread so that they twist together. Note that this particularity of crepe creates irregularities during weaving which ensure a plump or fluid fall depending on the weight. A great asset to obtain a nice drape.
The crepe fabric has a high level of resistance. This durability comes from its twisted production process. This is a major advantage for sewing high quality pieces. At the same time, the pancakes retain their colors very well, which guarantees an almost timeless aesthetic appearance.
From the natural fiber of silk to synthetic and artificial fibers
Today, crepe fabric is made from natural or synthetic fibers. Historically, it was woven from silk thread. Silk was a natural material widely used in the manufacture of clothing and bed linen. However, with the sharp increase in its price, the use of silk for a crepe fabric has given way to other materials.
Now if you want to sew using this fabric, you can find it with a wool or cotton base for natural fibers or polyester for synthetic fibers.
For example, Georgette is a transparent crepe fabric made from silk while viscose is an artificial fiber nicknamed artificial silk. Whether your choice is a crepe Georgette, viscose, wool, cotton or polyester, the quality to the touch will be there.
An ideal fabric for making clothes and decorative objects
Being very elegant, crepe fabric is a precious ally of haute couture workshops: wedding dresses, summer dresses, evening dresses, blouses, skirts and even pants. And that's not all since it is widely used in the production of accessories. For example, you can find stoles, shawls, scarves and gloves woven in crepe.
Thanks to its appearance, this fabric generally brings a nice finishing touch to a clothing style. If you want to test this fabric for making your clothes, you will be surprised by how easy it is to work with. Some pancakes do not slip and therefore ensure a weaving in peace. You can also sew curtains or decorative objects from this textile.
In terms of its sewing, it all depends on its composition. A silk georgette is not sewn in the same way as polyester. If your crepe is very light, use it like a muslin.
Finally, concerning the maintenance of this fabric, the fragile natural fibers - mainly silk and wool - can be washed by hand, while you can put cotton or wool fabrics in the washing machine (30/40°C). polyester.
Thus, crepe fabric is a good quality textile widely used in the worlds of fashion and furnishings. At home, it remains easy to sew and allows you to make many pieces with a wavy effect.
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